Preparations for the World Cup in Qatar are in full swing. The sports show documentary “Human rights – title dreams” shows how national coach Hansi Flick deals with the dark side of the tournament.
The unusual date of the World Cup in Qatar – 21.11. to December 18, 2022 – forces national coach Hansi Flick to take unusual measures. In a way, he’s already fully involved in preparing for the tournament.
But this time it’s not just about sporting aspects, but also about the attitude of the team to the questionable tournament in the desert state.
For example, the DFB staff had invited Katja Müller-Fahlbusch from Amnesty International to the national team in the spring. In the spring, Müller-Fahlbusch informed players and coaches about the situation in Qatar, human rights violations, corruption and megalomania.
TV tip: Human rights title dreams
The sports show documentary “Human Rights Title Dreams” gives exclusive insights into how the German national soccer team is preparing for the World Cup in Qatar. The film by Philipp Sohmer is running Sunday, 7:15 p.m., in the first. You can already find him in the media library.
“Progress is not enough”
“There is progress, yes, but it is far from enough“Said Müller-Fahlbusch in the Sportschau documentary”Human rights – title dreams“There is still forced labour, unpaid wages and confiscated passports in Qatar, Müller-Fahlbusch explained to the national players. The fact that the national team is inviting representatives of human rights organizations at all is an important first step, she emphasized.
National coach Hansi Flick is aware of the difficult task that lies ahead for him and his players in the mixed situation between politics and sport. After all, every single player has great appeal, said Flick.
However, the documentation also shows the difficulties with regard to the short preparation time. There are ten days in November between the last Bundesliga match day and the start of the tournament.
Many specialists on board
Flick has gathered many specialists around him for this. “My team around me is very important to me. Each individual has the responsibility, if he sees something, to get involved and say we can do even better“, says team player Flick, meaning Pascal Bauer, the national team’s data analyst, or Mats Buttgereit. With the Dane Buttgereit, Flick has hired an assistant coach for standard situations for the first time.
The feel-good factor during the World Cup should also be right. In memory of the much-cited spirit of Campo Bahia, the quarter during the victorious 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Flick chose a secluded place to stay – that’s also a topic in the documentary.
Far away from everything
During the World Cup, the German team will live in a luxury resort on the northern tip of the emirate, far away from everything. Flick justified this decision primarily with the optimal training conditions in the nearby stadium. “That impressed us in the coaching team. You have everything to yourself there“, says Flick: “Nobody can look in there. Therefore: the seclusion is good for us.”